What is structural analysis?
Structural Analysis assesses a student's understanding of affixes and syllable patterns in decoding and identification of compound words.
Why is structural analysis important?
Understanding word structure helps the child infer word meaning. Inferring word meaning helps the child learn new words. A larger reading vocabulary, in turn, contributes to fluency and comprehension.
How can I help my child with structural analysis?
Prefixes and suffixes change the meaning of words. Prefixes are added to the beginning of base words, and suffixes are added to the end of base words.
Students should be able to count how many syllables are in words. They can use their knowledge of syllable patterns to help them read unfamiliar words.
A compound word is two words put together to make one word. By the end of 1st grade, students should be able to identify compound words, identify words that are not compound words, and correctly form compound words. Point out compounds when reading books and talk about the meaning of the word(s).